


Upstead Drabble

by randers1



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: F/M, Upstead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:21:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26411062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randers1/pseuds/randers1
Summary: A short little drabble about how Jay is dealing with Hailey's absence. (hint: not super well)
Relationships: Jay Halstead & Hailey Upton, Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton
Comments: 20
Kudos: 82





	Upstead Drabble

Jay’s morning was _not_ going well. He’d woken up to find a near flood in his kitchen courtesy of the newly malfunctioning refrigerator. He’d been still bleary-eyed as he’d made his way to the kitchen in the near dawn hour, his apartment still dark, as his socks immediately absorbed what was on the floor. Water sloshed as he walked through it, swearing the whole way. 

The wet socks had been thrown in to the living room and he’d spent too much time with towels sopping up the water and putting in calls to his landlord that had yet to be answered.

With just about every towel he owned now laying on the kitchen floor along with a few pillowcases and 2 sweatshirts, he was now finally showered and nearly dressed. A glance at the clock told him he had a slim chance of making it to work on time, especially if he planned to stop for coffee. On Time was a thing of his own creation. It wasn’t the time he was scheduled to report to the district but his own internal schedule that had been created subconsciously the second day his partner had been gone. He’d gone in at the regular time on the first day, wincing at the lack of morning check in text, no coffee order to place or give, and the empty space that lay before him-- void of his blonde haired, pen stealing, partner—who he couldn’t stop thinking of. He was grateful for the ability to count on instinct kicking in when needed, keeping him safe out on the street, pushing CIs for information, chasing down offenders, and clearing houses.

Paperwork, meetings, driving in his truck, sitting at home, going to Molly’s were all traps that he couldn’t avoid falling in to. He wasn’t pathetic—he could hold conversations, laugh with his brother, his friends, complete and submit reports…. but none were done without his thoughts drifting to the time he was here with Hailey, both the conversations held and the easy silences with her while driving, mildly arguing here and there about the radio choices, late nights finishing work at their desks when everyone else had gone home and he’d stop what he was doing to look at her. Sometimes he got away with it but more often than not she’d catch him, smile, maybe tilt her head, ask what was up, if he was good. But she never questioned further, not the 50th time, not the 200th. He’d been on the receiving end fairly often as well, noticing the lack of rustling papers, the lack of typing sounds against the keyboard. He’d look up to see her watching him. That was when his breath would hitch in his chest for a second, he’d blink a few times, maybe smile, maybe chuckle, ask if she was okay. She always said yes, throw him a small smile, a quick scrunching of her nose, and go back to work.

Jay didn’t work late nights any more. Instead he’d go in early, very early, to finish paperwork, do whatever needed to be done. Voight noticed but didn’t question it; the method seemed to be working for Jay and none of his reports had been late or missing. His work was still stellar even if he was a bit more surly than usual, more short-tempered with everyone, a bit less social. Everyone knew why and avoided purposely bringing up her name—the noticeable tension that would increase in both Jay’s shoulders and the room in general, the sad look or hot glare they’d get the various times they’d slipped, had been enough of a reminder to try and not say it again.

The team tolerated it though because they knew there was an end date. And thank god that day was coming soon. Three days away, a Friday, and their team would be complete again that Monday. Some of them kept countdowns on notepads or tally marks on a post-it note. Sometimes when Jay was extra moody or too much to be around they’d send covert texts:

To Kim and Adam _: 11 days, sweet lord let me make it till then. Let HIM make it till it then._

To Adam and Kevin: _AVOID THE COFFEE MACHINE, I REPEAT, AVOID THE COFFEE MACHINE_

To Kevin and Kim: _Well, that was a delightfully tense lunch. Thanks Kim._

To Kevin and Adam: _How the hell was I supposed to know I couldn’t talk about the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade?_

To Kim and Adam: _Ummm how about cuz it’s in NY??_

For his part, Jay had the date on his phone calendar and he’d look at it sometimes----often----; before or after he and Hailey had texted or talked, to remind himself that this wasn’t the way it was, it would come to an end and he’d have his partner back. Or more than that, he’d have Hailey back.

That calendar was his friend _,_ always there to calmly remind him that she was in fact coming back, of the talk he planned to have with her that day.

Jeans were on and his shirt was in hand when his ears caught sound. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d heard so he padded out of his bedroom and heard it again. A light knocking at his front door. The landlord had called a short while ago to say he was sending over a plumber, he’d let him in if Jay wasn’t home if that was okay with him. It totally was, he thought as he passed the kitchen.

He simultaneously opened the door and put on his shirt on. He’d just pulled it down over his head when he caught the eye of person standing there. It wasn’t the plumber.

She looked tired but beautiful as she stood, snow melting in her hair, in jeans and her winter coat, holding two cups of coffee. She was trying to keep her smile from overtaking her and blinked up at him.

“I was hoping I’d catch you.” She breathed out and held one of the cups to him. “Been a while. Hope you haven’t changed how you like it.”

Jay realized he was staring, hadn’t said anything. “You’re—I thought—what happened to Friday?” He could feel his smile, starting small and growing into a satisfied smirk. He took the cup she offered and they both froze for just a second as their touched briefly at the transfer.

Hailey broke the freeze, chuckling lightly, and Jay’s smile grew at the sound. He had to close his mouth to keep control of his face.

She looked at him, so happy to see him in person again. Her head tilted a bit as her eyebrows lifted. “So you gonna invite me in?”


End file.
